Once, not so long ago, a dirty, hairy old man had a shop. One day the old man was sitting at his desk doing paperwork when a stray cat came in through the back door of his office.

This cat, who looked as if he didn't have anyone to love him, walked in and meowed as if to say hi. The old man liked animals and felt the need to help, so he got a bowl of water and offered it to the cat. The cat came closer and saw that the old man had gotten him some fresh, cool water. Then the old man went and got the cat some food, not knowing if the cat would eat or not. Well, the cat ate and ate...cleaned the bowl until he was full. The cat walked over to the man and began rubbing against his leg as if to say "thank you!" Then the cat jumped up into the man's lap. The two of them had made a bond forever.

The cat stayed and became the official shop cat. He never met a stranger, greeting all the old man's customers, even jumping into their laps as he did with the old man. The cat would come and go as he liked, but during the evening, while the old man was working late, the cat would always show up, meowing upon entrance as if to declare, "I'm back!" The cat would not be quieted until the old man stopped and acknowledged "Okay, I know you're home."

The cat would come back into the shop's work area only after business hours. The old man often wondered how the cat could tell regular business hours from overtime, but the cat did indeed know.

The cat was a good friend to the old man and a great help many times. When the old man was grouchy, the cat would jump up in his lap looking for affection, not caring that the old man was angry. The cat didn't seem to be aware of how much it calmed the man down to sit there petting and reassuring the cat.

Each morning the cat would be at the front door greeting the old man with a meow, as if to say, "Good morning...feed me, please." The two friends would enter the office together, one veering off to the food bowl, one to the light switch. After the cat ate, he would sidle up next to the old man for his morning petting, then take to the sofa for a day's rest.

The old man and the cat were a sight at times, with the old man reclined, feet propped on the desktop, the cat nestled into his lap with belly up, eyes closed, enjoying the old man's petting.

The cat played this role for five years, until one day when the old man had to make a tough decision. The cat had become very ill. Not wanting the cat to suffer, the old man was forced to say goodbye and choose a peaceful, painless death for the cat with the help of his veterinarian.

The old man really misses that cat. There's an empty space in the shop and in the old man's heart. He will be missed greatly by friends, customers, and family -- but, most of all, by the old man.

-- From an old man without his loving cat by his side
In tribute to The Cat: Gone, 8-2-04, 11:30 a.m.